opened about 1861.It is now kept by James Delong.The Union Church was built in 1874 by the unitedeffortsof all who were interested in having

Protestant services held in the place. Among its prominent supporters were Major Phillips, James Delong, BenjaminJonesand John A. Donneston.It is a neat framed structure and meets the wants of all classes of believers. Services are held by Primitive Methodist, Evangelical, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Reformed clergymen from the adjacent boroughs.

St. Nicholas Colliery

This colliery was opened in 1861, and

itis now the property of the Philadelphia and Reading Coaland

IronCompany.Its breaker was built in 1861; has a capacity of

fivehundred tons daily, and its average annualshipmentshave

been about 80,000 tons.Three hundred men and boys are employed.

Theslope is sunk to a depth of 720 feet below waterleveland

workings opened in the Buck Mountain, two splits of the Mammoth,

and, to some extent, in the Primrose.J.A. Donneston was superintendentunder the St. Nicholas CoalCompanynearlysixteen

years.

St.NicholasDivision, No. 26, S. of T.

Thisdivisionwas

institutedApril8th, 1879, with Richard Koons,JohnDeSilva,

B.R. Jones, F.J. Smith, Thomas Metz, George Shafer, Charles Drum,

WilliamJones, William Trevethyn, E.C. Koons and OwenBrownas

charter members.At the first meeting Richard Koons waselected

W.P., George Shafer secretary, and John DeSilva treasurer.Since

thattime the following members have passed thechair:George

Shafer, John J. Reed, F.J. Smith, Thomas Metz and John DeSilva.

Theofficersin position November 1st, 1880,were:W.P.,

E.C.Koons; W.A., Rachel Jones; R.S., John A.Trevethyn;F.S.,

Alexander McHale; T., Richard Koons; chaplain, W.C. Emory;cond.

W.M.Gibson;assistant cond., Alice Gibson;I.S.,EmmaKoon;

O.S., George Case.

There are about sixty members.Meetings are held atSuffolk

school-house Tuesday evenings.

St.Nicholas Silver Cornet Bank was organized November5th,

1878, with twenty members, and employed Jacob Brittz, ofMahanoy

City, asteacher.Within a few weeks after organizationJ.C.

Neuland was chosen leader, and he still holds the position.Its officers in 1880were:JohnJ. Reed, president; Thomas Metz, secretary;EnochDecker,treasurer;J.C.Neuland, leader.It is wellequippedanda credit to the place.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The first public school was taught in 1859.From data kindly

furnished by the superintendent of schools,M.J.Murphy,

the followingsummaryof the condition of the schoolsin1880 is gleaned.

There wereat that time in thetownshipfourteenschool

buildings; one at Hill's, with one school, containingfifty-four

scholars;one at Bowman's, with two schools, containinginall

onehundredandfourteen scholars; one atSuffolk,withtwo

schools,and ninety-four scholars; one at Myersville,withone

school,andthirtyscholars; twoatYatesville,withthree

schoolsandone hundred and twenty-four scholars; oneatWig-

gan's, with two schools and seventy scholars; one atGrantville,

two schools and seventh scholars; one at New Boston, twoschools

andfiftyscholars;one at Boston Run, withtwoschoolsand

sixty-fourscholars; one at St. Nicholas, with twoschoolsand

seventy-four scholars; one at Cole's, two schools andsixty-four

scholars;oneat Ellangowan, two schools andonehundredand

three scholars;in all twenty-three schools and913scholars.

The highest salary paid to teachers was $55 per month; the lowest

$30.Thirteen male and ten female teachers were employed,of

whom the greater number received their education inthepublic

schoolsofthe county, and seven heldpermanentcertificates.

The total monthly pay-roll for teachers' wages amounted to $985.

COLLIERIES

NorthMahanoy Colliery.-The first development here wasmade

by Samuel and E.S. Sillyman as the firm of Samuel Sillyman & Son,

andthiswas the first colliery opened atMahanoyCity.The

first shipment of coal was made in 1861.The colliery continued

in the hands of the Sillymans until 1869, when E.S. Sillyman sold

itto Hill, Harris & Rumble, and in 1872 it became theproperty

ofthe Philadelphia Coal and Iron Company, thepresentowners.

Theoriginalbreakerwas destroyed by fire in1869,andthe

present one built by Hill, Harrison & Rumble.It has acapacity

of four hundred and fifty tons daily, and about the sameaverage

production.The workings consist of a slope abouttwohundred

andtwenty-five yards deep, with gangways driven west aboutone

and one-half miles.Half a mile west of the foot of the slope is

another, driven one hundred yards.

Schuylkill Colliery was opened in 1863 by Abraham Focht,who

commenced shipping coal in the spring of the following year.In

1865the works were sold to the firm of Focht, Whitaker&Co.,

whooperatedthe colliery until 1877, when it passedintothe

hands of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company,who

arethe present operators.The coal mined previous to 1870was

taken from the Five-feet and Seven-feet veins, above water level;

butin that year a shaft fifty-seven feet deep was sunktothe

BuckMountain vein, from the foot of which a slope 636feetin

depth, with four gangways, has been driven.The vein nowworked

has an average depth of about fourteen feet, with a "dip" west of

aboutsixdegrees.The capacity of the breaker is aboutfive

hundredtons daily, and the average production is nearlyupto

its capacity.Two hundred men and boys are employed.The power

is supplied by four engines, with a total of 200 horse power.

ThePrimrose Colliery was first opened in 1861, by Steele&

Patterson, who operated it until 1866, when Caleb Kneavlespur-

chased it, and he still operates it.The original slope was 125 yards, with a pitch of 40 degrees.The distance of the farthest heading from its foot is 900 yards. The veins worked are the Primrose, Mammoth and Skidmore.A slope was commenced in 1879, and it has been driven to the middle split

of the Mammoth vein, and a tunnel to the Skidmore.Engines with

a capacity of 310 horse power are in use.The present breaker

was builtin 1871, and has a capacity of 350 tonsdaily.The

average dailyproduct is fully up to its capacity.The total

number of men and boys employed is 150.James Wynn issuperintendent; William Wynn, outside foreman; William B. Harris, inside

foreman; Frank Reed, shipper.

TheTunnel Ridge Colliery was opened in 1863, byGeorgeW.

Cole, who built a breaker and commenced shipping coal inDecember.It was operated by him until 1879, when thePhiladelphia

and Reading Coal and Iron Company bought it.The capacity of the

breaker is nine hundred tons daily.The average productionis

aboutsevenhundred tons. Six engines, aggregating270 horse

power, are in use, and 300 men and boys are employed.The depth

oftheslope is one hundred and sixty-six yards,andgangways

havebeen driven fifteen hundred yards each way, east andwest,

from its foot.The veins worked are the Mammoth and BuckMountain.John L. Shipman is the outside foreman.

GlendonColliery was opened in 1860, by AbrahamPotts,who

builtasmall breaker in 1862, and in 1863 soldittoAlfred

Lawton,who built the present breaker two yearslater.Lawton

sold it to James B. Boylan, who operated it until 1876, whenthe

Delanoland Company took possession of it and leased ittoits

presentoperators, J.C. Hayden & Co., which firm is composedof

J.C. Hayden of Janesville, Pa., and Francis Robinson of New York.

The capacity of the breaker is seven hundred tons daily, andthe

averageproduction five hundred tons.The power is supplied by

fourengines,aggregatingone hundredandeighty-fivehorse

power.The veins worked are the Seven-feet, BuckMountain and

Skidmore.The slope is sunk one hundred andfifty-fiveyards,

andgangways are driven two thousand yards from itsfoot.The

total number of men and boys employed is ninety-five outsideand

one hundred and fifty inside.There are nine tenement houses on the property.

TheNew Boston Coal Mining Company opened a driftandcommencedoperating in 1864.They erected the breaker, from which

the first shipments were made in 1865,and continued operations until 1871.

They weresucceeded bytheBroad Mountain and Lehigh Company,

whooperateduntil 1873,when a reorganization was affected under the nameofthe MiddleLehigh Company, who remained the owners until 1878,when thepersonal property and lease was purchased byJosephHitch, whostill controls the colliery.The breaker has a capacity of

950 tons daily, and employs 425 men and boys.The depth of the

slope sunkis 375 feet, with a pitch south of 22degrees.The

distance from the foot of the slope to the extreme eastern

heading is one and three-fourths miles, and to the extremity ofthe

western headings 1,500 feet.

The vein worked is the BuckMountain,with an average depth of fifteen feet.Thecompanyhave alsodriven a tunnel one hundred feet south from thebottomofthe slope to the Skidmore vein, on which a distance of 2,700 feeteasthas been worked.The engines used are two at the fans,of20 horse power; one pair of hoisting engines, of 180 horse power;

onepair of pump engines, of 530 horse power (capacity ofpumps

1,200gallons per minute), one pair of small pump engines of45

horsepower (capacity of pumps 300 gallons per minute), andone

breaker engine of 45 horse power.Morgan W. Price is the present

superintendent,John Goyne outside foreman, andMichaelMurphy

and Henry Kanute inside foremen.

TheCoply Colliery was opened by the Bowmans at an earlyday

and is one of the oldest workings in the town.It was purchased

in 1879 by L.F. Lentz.David Bowman became superintendent, J.L.

Bowman assistantand outside foreman, WilliamDavidsoninside

foreman.The colliery was formerly known asLentz,Bowman&

Co.'s.The number of men and boys employed outside is eighty,

and inside one hundred and forty.Thirty-five mules are worked.

Theaverage production is 250 tons daily.The capacity of the

breaker is1,000tons.One pair of 60 horse powerhoisting

engines,one 80 horse power breaker engine, one dirtandplane

engine,of15 horse power, and two 12 horse powerfanengines

supply thepower.The shaft is one hundred and sixty feet in

depth.The workings extend half a mile east and the same dis-

tance west.The original workings were six drifts, now worked

out.The colliery is still working one drift on the Seven-feet

vein.The shaft is sunk on Buck Mountain vein, which here aver-

agesten feet in depth.The number of tenement housesisfifteen.The colliery is free from fire damp.

WestLehigh Colliery mine was opened in 1864 by aman

namedShoemaker, from Philadelphia, and is usuallyknownamong

the residents of Mahanoy as the Shoemaker colliery.He built a

breaker with a capacity of 200 tons daily, and commenced shipping

coal in1864.In 1870 he sold to Bedford & Co.The original

workings were in a drift on the "Seven-feet" vein.The new firm

sunka slope two hundred and fifteen yards, with a pitchof45

degrees, on the Buck Mountain vein.In 1874 Fisher Hazard became

theowner, and built a new breaker, capable of turningoutsix

hundredtons daily.This structure is on the main line ofthe

LehighValley road, north of the old one, which stood on the line

of the Mahanoy City branch of that road, and which, when stripped

of its machinery and valuable timbers, was destroyed by fire,as

the best way of disposing of it.The average daily production is

four hundred tons.Ninety-five men and boys are employedinside

andtwenty-five outside.The extreme headings are five-eighths

of a mile east and three-eighths west from the foot of the slope.

Thirty-two breasts are being worked, the average thickness of the

veinbeingten feet. Four engines, with an aggregateofone

hundred and forty horse power, and two steam-pumps of one hundred

andthirty horse power are in use.Twenty-fourtenementhouses

are connected with the colliery.

Bear Run Colliery was opened in 1863, by George F. Wiggan and

C.H.R. Treibles, who built a small breaker during that years, and

erectedthepresentone in 1871.It has acapacityoffour

hundredand fifty tons daily, and the average out-putisabout

threehundred.The original slope was one hundred yardsdeep,

andfromitwas worked the top split of theMammothandthe

Seven-feet veins.This slope is not worked, but is in a condi-

tiontoreopenat any time when the conditionoftradewill

warrant.The present slope was sunk two hundred andtwenty-five

yards,withapitch of 45 degrees, andworkingsextendwest

three-fourthsofa mile, and east seven hundred yards,onthe

Mammothvein.There are in use at this collieryonepairof

hoistingengines of 120 horse power, one breaker engineof20,

one fan of 15, and three pumps of 150 each.The total numberof

menandboys employed outside is one hundredandtwenty-five;

inside,onehundred.The average thickness oftheveinnow

worked is sixteen feet.

The Suffolk Colliery was first opened in 1863 by PlinyFisk,

and in February, 1864soldbyhim to the Suffolk Coal Company,

which built, duringthat year, thepresentbreaker to take the

place of a small one built by Fisk. The capacity of thisbreaker

is 750 tons daily, and the average production 600 tons. One hund-

red and twenty men and boys areemployed outside, andthe same

number inside. The slope is driven 193yards, at apitchof 20

degrees, and seven gangways are being workedin the Primrose and

orchard veins. The power used is furnished by one hoisting engine

ofsixtyhorse power, onebreakerengine of fifty, one fan of

forty, one shop fan engine of eighteen, one pump-used for washing

-of forty, and one tank pump engine of eight, with one mine loco-

motive of twenty, besides a slope pump of one hundredand fifty.

the head of the slope is about eighty yards east of the breaker.

Thename by whichthe Ellengowan collierywas

first known was Maple Dale, or more commonly Lanigan'scolliery,

ithavingbeen opened by James Lanigan, the ordinalownerand

operator.Mr. Lanigan sold his interest to a Mr. Star, of Bos-

ton;he sold to John C. Scott & Sons, of Philadelphia,andthe

name was changed to Glenville.Subsequently it was purchasedby

thePhiladelphiaand Reading Coal and IronCompanyandnamed

Ellangowen colliery.Under the control of this company, whoare

the present owners and operator has become one of the best equipped

and most productivecollieriesin the anthracite coal region.It has one of the bestcon-

structedbreakers,withthe latestimprovementsinhoisting

machinery, and it is producing an average of twelve hundredtons

of coal daily ready for market, which is its full capacity.This

colliery requires the labor of two hundred and fifty men and boys

insideto keep it in successful operation.It has twohoisting

enginesfor the shaft, of ninety horse power each, andtwoen-

gines for the slope, of thirty horse power each, besidesbreaker

andfanengines.It has tow fans to regulateventilation,of

twenty-twoandsixteen feet diameter respectively.Theveins

workedarethe Primrose, about ten feet in thickness,andthe

Mammoth,inthree splits, each from twelve to sixteenfeetin

thickness.There are about one hundred tenant housesbelonging

to this colliery, and occupied by employes.

KnickerbockerCollierywas opened in 1864by

M.P. Fowler and Henry Huhn, and they made their first shipment of

coalNovember23dof the same year,havingalreadyexpended

$75,000 in its opening and partial development.In March, 1865,

theysoldthe colliery to the KnickerbockerCoalCompany,of

whichIsaac I. Hayes, of Arctic expedition fame, waspresident.

The contract being unfulfilled the colliery was sold January 1st,

1873, to the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company.Two

hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars had been spentinde-

veloping and running the colliery to the time of the lastsale.

Under the management of the present owners and their able foremen

the average daily production is about 450 tons, the full capacity

being500.The colliery gives employment to 150 menandboys

outside,and 180 inside.It has seven engines, with anaverage

of forty horse power each, and one six-inch double-acting Griscom

pumpofsix feet stroke.There arethirty-twodoubletenant

houses,in which the employes reside.The slope is sunk onthe

south dip of the Primrose vein and the tunnel south to thenorth

dip.TheMammothvein is being worked, bothtopandbottom

splits, which are here divided by about fifty yards of rock.

Boston Run Colliery was opened in 1862, by Focht &Althouse,

whichfirmwas afterward changed to Althouse & Brother bythe

retirement of Mr. Focht.It is owned and operated by the Phila-

delphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company.The workings consist

of a slope 235 yards deep, with a pitch of 35 degrees, andgang-

ways onthe Mammoth vein.The breaker has acapacity ofsix

hundred and fifty tons, and about three hundred andfiftytons

are shipped daily.A saw-mill and car and blacksmith shopsare

onthe premises.One pair of sixty horse hoisting engines, one

fifty horse breaker, one forty horse fan, a twenty horseengine

at the sawmill, and a five horse at the blacksmith shopfurnish

thepower.Eighty-eight men and boys are employedinsideand

ninety-fiveoutside.Thirty-sixtenement housesareonthe

property.The colliery has been carefully managed and butfive

liveshavebeenlost since its opening.JohnSkeathisthe

inside foreman and J.W. Madenforth the outside foreman.

MURDERS

In 1796 a log tavern was built, by an old hunter named Reisch,

on the spot where now stands the Mansion House of MahanoyCity.

August 10th, 1797, two travelers spent the night together at this

lonely hostelry; one a Jew peddler named Faulhover, the othera

hunter from New Jersey, named Bailey.The latter on the follow-

ing morning preceded the peddler to a place known as WestHouse

Run,lay in ambush for him and shot him through theheart.He

then robbed his saddlebags of the gold and silver they contained,

carried the bags, still laden with a quantity of copper coins, to

apoint some distance from the scene of the murder, buried them

anddisappeared.Passers by buried the unfortunate peddler.A

small mound marks the spot, which was pointed out for manyyears

afterwards.Bailey was afterwards traced to New Jersey, arrest-

ed,andcaptured, and was executed January 6th,1798.August

6th, 1880, a party of five boys playing in a field near Lawton's

Patch picked up a large number of old copper coins, some of them

bearing a date two hundred years ago.The report of the discov-

ery spread rapidly, hundreds repaired to the place to searchfor

hidden treasure, and intense excitement pretiled until thestory

ofFaulhover'smurder was remembered, and the placewherethe

coin was unearthed was found to correspond with the story ofthe

buried saddlebags, which could never be found, although they were

searched for at the time.

Anothercowardlymurder was that of JeffersonF.Yohe, a

farmer'sboy, living in Columbia county, and aged aboutsixteen

years.Onthe 27th of May, 1870, he was shot and robbedata

point near the old colliery on the Ringtown road.Several arrests were made, but no one was ever convicted of the crime.

About three o'clock in the morning of Friday, December 10th,

1875, a party of masked men visited the house of Charles McAllister at Wiggan's Patch and broke in the back door.McAllister went into the cellar, which was separated from the adjoining house by a board partition only, and, removing a board, went in to theother house and escaped by the back door.Mrs. McAllister went toward the kitchen door, and, meeting the ruffians, was shot dead, and left in the doorway where she fell.The murderers then went up stairs, and, finding Charles O'Donnell, a brother of Mrs. McAllister, took him out and shot him; following him as heattemptedto escape, to a point some fifty yards fromthehouse, wherehe fell, riddled with bullets.James McAllister was also